The Bullies Obsession

Chapter 5

The drive home is tense and silent, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional passing cars. Jackson keeps his eyes on the road, his jaw clenched and his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. I sit stiffly in the passenger seat, my arms wrapped around myself as I stares out the window, lost in thought.

As we pull up to my house, Jackson finally speaks, his voice low and gravelly.

"We're here." He glances over at me, his expression unreadable.

"You should go inside. Get some rest."

I hesitate for a moment, my hand on the door handle as I turn to look at him. His expression is unreadable, but there's a hint of something in his eyes regret, perhaps, or a glimmer of the humanity he's been so quick to suppress.

"Jackson..." I start, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you do this? Why me?"

His jaw clenches, his eyes flickering away from mine.

"You were just... convenient." He says, his voice cold and detached.

"Pretty, innocent, easy to manipulate. I saw an opportunity, and I took it."

My heart aches at his words, the finality of it sinking in.

My heart shatters at his cruel words, the finality of it sinks in like a knife to my chest. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but I blink them back, refusing to let him see me cry again.

"I see." I whisper, my voice trembling slightly.

"Well, I hope it was worth it. Destroying someone's life, just for your own amusement."

I open the car door, stepping out into the cool night air. I turn back to him, my expression a mix of sadness and determination.

"I never want to see you again, Jackson. Stay away from me."

With that, I slam the door shut and walks towards my house, my head held high despite the pain and humiliation I feel.

I walk into the house, closing the door behind me and leaning against it, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The weight of what happened the past two days crashes down on me, and I slide to the floor, burying my face in my hands as the tears start to fall.

I stay like that for a long time, crying until I have no tears left. When I finally pull myself together, I stand on shaky legs and makes my way upstairs to my room.

I strip off my clothes, throwing them in the trash without a second thought. I step into the shower, scrubbing my skin raw as if I can wash away the memory of Jackson's touch. But no matter how hard I scrub, I know I'll never be clean again.

I step out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My skin is red and raw from scrubbing, but it's my eyes that catch my attention they're haunted, filled with a pain and sorrow that I've never seen before.

I dress quickly, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, I wanna hide myself away from the world. As I climb into bed, I pull the covers up to my chin, wishing I could disappear.

I lay there in the darkness, staring at the ceiling as tears leak from the corners of my eyes. I know that tomorrow will bring new challenges, new obstacles to overcome. But for tonight, I allow myself to grieve, to mourn the loss of my innocence and the shattering of my trust.

As sleep finally claims me, I pray that tomorrow will be a better day.

The next morning, I wake up feeling drained and exhausted. My body aches, a constant reminder of the trauma I endured the night before. I force myself out of bed, moving through the motions of my morning routine like a zombie.

As I make my way downstairs, I'm greeted by the smell of pancakes and the sound of my parents' voices. For a moment, I consider hiding in my room, avoiding their concerned looks and probing questions. But I know I can't avoid them forever.

I enter the kitchen, offering a weak smile to my parents.

"Morning." I say, my voice hoarse from crying.

My parents look up as I enter, their faces immediately etched with concern. My mother sets down the spatula and rushes over, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Oh, sweetheart. What's wrong?" She asks, her voice filled with worry as she pulls back to look at my face. "You look terrible."

My father follows suit, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Is everything okay, Zantay? You're not yourself."

My eyes fill with tears again, and I bite my lip to keep from crying out. I don't know how to tell them what happened, don't know if I can even bring myself to say the words aloud.

And worse of it all is the Brooks power. Will his father believe it if it do come out. My father can end up without work.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. I pull it out of my pocket, my heart sink when I see Jackson's name flashing on the screen. I reject the call, silencing the phone and shoving it back into my pocket.

My parents exchange a worried glance, noticing my reaction.

"Who was that, sweetheart?" my mother asks gently.

I shake my head, unable to meet their eyes.

"Nobody. Just... just a wrong number." I lie, my stomach twisting with guilt.

I know I can't keep this secret forever, but the thought of facing the consequences, of potentially ruining my father's career, is too much to bear. For now, I'll have to carry this burden alone, no matter how heavy it may be.

I spend the day avoiding my parents, hiding in my room and pretending to be sick. I ignore Jackson's persistent calls and texts, my heart racing every time my phone rings. I know I can't avoid him forever, but I'm not ready to face him yet.

As the sun begins to set, I hear a knock at my bedroom door. I tens, my heart pounding in my chest as I hear my father's voice.

"Zantay, sweetheart? Can I come in?"

I take a deep breath, steeling myself before responding.

"Yeah, Dad. Come in." I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

My father enter the room, his brow furrowed with concern as he looks at me. He sits down on the edge of my bed, his eyes searching mine.

"Zantay, what's going on? Your mother and I are worried sick about you. You've been hold up in here all day, and you look like you haven't slept in weeks."

My eyes fill with tears, and I bites my lip to keep from crying out. I know I can't keep lying to my father, but the words stuck in my throat.

"Dad... I... something happened." I whispers, my voice trembling. "Something bad."

My father's expression turns serious, his eyes narrowing as he leans forward.

"What is it, sweetheart? You can tell me anything. I'm here for you."

He says, his voice gentle but firm.

Just then my mom enters with a bright smile.

"Zantay honey. Mr Brooks was worried when he didn't see you in school today."

Behind her stands Jackson looking all innocent.

My heart stops as I see Jackson, his innocent facade in place. I feel a surge of panic, my mind racing as I try to think of a way out of this situation.

My father turn to look at Jackson, his expression guarded.

"Mr. Brooks. What brings you here?" He asks, his tone polite but cool.

My mother smiles warmly at Jackson.

"He was just checking in on Zantay, since she missed school today. Isn't that kind of him?" She says, oblivious to the tension in the room.

My eyes dart between my parents and Jackson, my heart pounding in my chest. I know I'm trapped, that there's no way out of this without causing a scene.

" Yes." He say. "She was pretty shaken up last night. We couldn't even finish our project."

My blood runs cold at Jackson's words, my stomach twisting with nausea. I can't believe he's spinning this lie so easily, pretending that everything is normal when my world has been shattered.

My father's expression darkens, his eyes narrowing as he looks at Jackson.

"Is that so? And what exactly happened last night, Mr. Brooks?" He asks, his voice low and dangerous.

My mother looks concerned, her gaze shifting between her husband and Jackson.

"What's going on? Zantay, is everything okay?" She asks, her voice filled with worry.

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I froze, paralyzed by fear and indecision. I know I should tell the truth, should expose Jackson for the monster he is.

Jackson walks in and go on his knees with a sad face.

"Mr Moore please don't tell my father." A fake tear escape his eye. "I just wanted to impress Zantay but I went to fast and made a little accident with one of his cars."

More tears roll down his face. "I know as a manager in my father's company he always listen to you. But please. Please don't tell him."